A few days after you have had your baby your breasts will feel full and heavy, as the breast tissues enlarge and start fully producing breast milk. This should ease within the first 2 or 3 weeks of breastfeeding as things become established.

If your breasts become hard again whilst you are feeding and you have a feeling that they are very heavy, hard and tender to touch then it’s likely that you have engorged breasts.

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The main reason for engorgement is because you are not feeding your baby as often as your breasts need in order to empty them fully. It can also be a symptom that you have a blocked or obstructed duct.

The key thing to do to improve the situation is to get your baby to feed from your breasts. This can be difficult if they are very hard so you might need to express a little, even the tiniest amount can make a difference. Try not to express for too long, as the aim should be for your baby to get the majority of the milk, also you want to avoid stimulating more milk production so ideally you only want to produce what your baby needs.

You can also use hot water bottles or warm flannels in a compress on the breast, try just before or when you are expressing. Some mums find that doing the expressing in the shower or in a bath also help. Don’t overdo the heat though as this can increase the tender feelings.

Once you have expressed a little try to latch baby on and feed until the hardness disappears, sometimes you can almost see the breast change as you feed. The aim should be to feed as often as possible, about every 2 to 3 hours. You can also encourage more milk to flow by gently massaging the breast with your hands as you are feeding baby.
As your breasts are hard and tender you might find that you want to wear your nursing bra at night too, just make sure you have no seams or wires that could cause a blocked duct.

Some mums have used cabbage leaves in their bras to help with engorgement, it’s not known if there is a special ingredient in them that helps or whether it’s just the fact they are the right shape and have been in the fridge that helps sooth your breast. Obviously you should give them a wash before you decide to try this at home!

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